Comedian Louis Nye Dies At 92-Played Sonny Drysdale

[Zoneboy]

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Comedian Louis Nye, who created a national catchphrase belting out "Hi, ho, Steverino!" as one of the players on Steve Allen's groundbreaking 1950s TV show, died Sunday. He was 92.

Nye died at his home in Los Angeles after a long battle with lung cancer, his son, Peter Nye, told The Associated Press Monday.

Nye had worked regularly in nightclubs and on television up until just a couple of years ago, his son said. He had a recurring role from 2000 to 2002 in the HBO comedy "Curb Your Enthusiasm" as the father of Jeff Garlin's character.

When he joined Allen's show in 1956 he was already well established as one the era's hippest comics, appearing regularly on radio, in clubs and on early TV shows.

On "The Steve Allen Show," which ran until 1961 under various names, he quickly endeared himself to audiences as Gordon Hathaway, the effete, country-club snob who would welcome Allen's arrival with the "Hi, ho, Steverino!" salutation.

Other regulars on the landmark show included comedians Don Knotts, Tom Poston and Bill Dana.

After the show's run ended, Nye appeared often on TV game shows, in films and as a regular on "The Ann Sothern Show."

One of his best-remembered roles is as Sonny Drysdale, the spoiled rich stepson of the banker on The Beverly Hillbillies during the 1962 season. He did six episodes, and received more mail than from anything else he had ever done on TV, but the character was dropped. It was rumored that someone in the CBS network, or a sponsor, thought Sonny was too "sissified." Nye revived the character briefly during the 1966 season, however.

In the 1980s and '90s he provided various voices for the "Inspector Gadget" cartoon show.